Photo: Tierra Blackston and Tiquana Bradberry/GoFundMe
A tragic incident in North Carolina has left a community grieving after a young man with special needs died when his caretaker allegedly left him in a hot vehicle for hours. The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office reported the incident on Tuesday, August 20, around 4:43 p.m.
The victim, Dontarious Batts, believed to be in his early to mid-20s, was under the care of 55-year-old Rogers Lee Inge Jr., an employee of Universal Health Care. According to police, Inge was also working as a janitor at Cleveland High School on the day of the incident. Reports indicate that Inge took Batts with him to his second job but left him in his car with the windows up and the engine off at approximately 8 a.m.
Inge allegedly returned to check on Batts at 10 a.m., claiming that the young man appeared to be fine at that time. However, instead of bringing Batts out of the car, Inge reportedly continued his workday, leaving Batts in the vehicle until he returned around 4:17 p.m., only to find that Batts had died, WRAL reported.
The shocking revelation came when Inge called Johnston County 911 Communications, admitting responsibility for the tragedy. During the call, an “emotionally distraught” Inge reportedly confessed, “It’s my fault.” He added, “I didn’t think it was that hot today. I didn’t check on him. I forgot. I was working.”
Emergency services were dispatched, and Inge was instructed to pull over at a nearby fire station on Cleveland Road in Clayton, where first responders met him. Despite their efforts, it was too late to save Batts.
According to ABC 11’s First Alert Weather Team, the temperature in the area reached 81 degrees that day. The National Weather Service warns that the interior of a parked vehicle can be up to 50 degrees hotter than the outside temperature, creating a lethal environment in a matter of minutes.
The aftermath of the tragedy has left Batts’ family devastated. Siblings Tierra Blackston and Tiquana Bradberry have started a GoFundMe campaign in his name, expressing their heartbreak. “We are heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected passing of our little brother Donte.
